


One Breath Away

by rainbowflavouredfabulous



Series: Get What I Want, Take What I Need [2]
Category: Victoria (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Handwaving of courting rules, Weddings, the happiness that victoria and melbourne deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-05 19:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12800751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowflavouredfabulous/pseuds/rainbowflavouredfabulous
Summary: A lifetime ago, Melbourne agreed with the Duke of Sutherland, acknowledged that his Queen would marry, look to her husband and not to him.He did not expect that in this context.





	One Breath Away

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so sorry this is short but I literally couldn’t think of any way to drag it out without it getting tedious. In any case, have some cute newly married Vicbourne fluff
> 
> Unbetaed so comment if there’s any mistakes pls!
> 
> Title from [Outro by Left Boy](https://youtu.be/nVvwcNgCh5E)

A lifetime ago, Melbourne agreed with the Duke of Sutherland, acknowledged that his Queen would marry, look to her husband and not to him.

He did not expect that in this context.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has just proclaimed them man and wife and Victoria looks at him, her husband with his Prime Ministerial duties long forgotten, with such adoration that he forgets himself and leans in to kiss her quickly, to see her lovesick eyes close and disregarding the entire cathedral, he looks to her first before turning round for everyone else's reactions.

His family's reputation has been slung through the mud frequently and rumours flourished across the country, the Lambs in Royal union thanks to the second eldest's seduction. Melbourne read that once in a newspaper and when he finally composed himself enough to read it out loud, Victoria couldn't stop laughing, even when Lehzen followed the sounds of hysterical giggles floating through the palace. After she saw that indeed, her former charge wasn't screaming in pain, Lehzen left and Victoria rested her head on Melbourne's shoulder, Emma sitting in the corner as the socially required chaperone.

"Well Lord M, I was never aware I was marrying such a gal-sneaker," Victoria said before leaning up to kiss his forehead as he rolled his eyes. Despite promising that they would start using each other's Christian names, such a long-formed habit couldn't be easily kicked and indeed, Victoria's family was confused by their nicknames and furthermore, their love.

They accepted it though. Melbourne sees her family first, as Royals, they were prominent placed within the cathedral. The Duchess weeps, something he did not expect. She had given her blessing though it took negotiation until Victoria pointed out how relatively happy her mother had been with her father, even if neither her mother's nor her engagement were to be expected.

Leopold was harder to decipher. Melbourne had been subjected to a private audience with the King of the Belgians and without a deeper understanding, one could perhaps simply believe that it was a shared drink between men who loved Victoria very much. Melbourne though understood the hidden threats. Leopold loved his niece dearly, perhaps though in a more subtle way that was often understood as overbearing paternal concern, the gist of his conversation veiling the pain of death if Melbourne ever thought about hurting Victoria.

The Belgian king nonetheless clapped along with the rest of the wedding guests, his nephews to his side. Victoria had been adamant that even though she and Albert parted on less than splendid terms, she wanted her cousin to attend her wedding. She wrote him a letter, asking Lord M for his advice for wording and between them, it seemed, Victoria and Melbourne wrote a letter that even Albert couldn't refuse and he wrote back, congratulating his cousin on her engagement and Melbourne was surprised by Albert's maturity.

Standing next to his uncle, Melbourne could see a proud smile on Albert's face, for once not forced by his brother Ernest who wore his usual grin and finally he felt at peace with his rival for Victoria's heart.

It seemed he even had Lehzen's approval, the Head of Household wiping under her eyes with a handkerchief and Melbourne saw Victoria's smile at her and suddenly it hit him.

They were _married_.

She was his _wife_.

He was her _husband_.

And his heart felt so full of happiness it could burst. He would have told his wife that if it was for his family's excited shrieks and he looked over to the other column of pews. Emily was crying loudly and he couldn't help but chuckle under his breath at his dearest sister, Victoria enjoying his contented smile, grateful for the Lambs. Frederick and his family were slightly more restrained and his brother didn't smile often but he did now and it was a glorious sight. He dearly missed his other siblings, Peniston, George and Harriet but he was happy with the family he still had and the new family he now had.

Husband and wife looked back at each other and Melbourne was suddenly thrust back two years back, Victoria looking back at him after assisting her with her portrait, his offer to form another ministry and the jubilant grin she wore when she realised she had her Lord M back and he realised he had his Queen back. That was when it started, his devotion to her, headstrong and artless and everything that came with Alexandrina Victoria.

Victoria noticed that look on her husband's face, that calm and adoring expression he had when he was in his own world, society’s rules forgotten. She took his hand first, unprecedented and Lord M squeezed her hand as they walked out of the cathedral together to the jubilation of gathered crowds, impromptu renditions of "God Save the Queen" ringing out as Melbourne and Victoria were caught under a shower of uncooked rice, grains lodging in the wreath Victoria wore, made from orchids Melbourne grew at Brocket Hall before he left his home for Buckingham Palace. He couldn't help but laugh at the rice stuck in the wreath upon her head but she laughed loudly at the rice stuck in his curls and it appeared they were both as ridiculous as each other.

Melbourne thought he was as in love with her as humanly possible. Victoria, once more, surprised him.

 

* * *

 

The wedding breakfast was a simple affair and they cut their cake together, both of them marvelling at Francatelli's skills. Although Victoria still harboured residual hesitancies when it came to her mother, Melbourne knew what it was like to lose a mother and so he made an effort to give the first slice of the cake to the Duchess whose wide eyes indicated she did not expect such kindness from her new son-in-law.

Victoria left the room to change for their journey and Melbourne was left to mingle with the wedding guests, the Coburgs making for surprisingly decent company and his family congratulating his new title of Duke of Edinburgh, something he had not quite believed immediately when he received a note passed to him by Lady Emma from Victoria before the wedding regarding his new title. He was halfway through a conversation with Emma when a footman approached the new Duke and informed him that the Queen was asking for his presence. With a polite request for permission to leave, Melbourne found Victoria waiting in a corridor.

She was his angel in white, a soft vision that he had to remind himself he was married to. He kneeled down for her and kissed the hand outstretched for him before standing up, Victoria's petite ungloved hands barely covering his.

She looked up and with a clear, quiet voice, she said, "Goodbye, Lord M."

He looked down before swallowing and making eye contact once more. "Goodbye, ma'am."

They dropped hands and both took a step back, a second in uncertain silence before Victoria bounced forward to wrap her arms around Melbourne with a smile.

"Hello, William."

He leant down for her and felt her nuzzle her face into his neck and held her tighter, words whispered into her ear.

"Hello, Victoria."

Victoria was perfectly happy to be wrapped up in his embrace, their promise to use each other's Christian names seemingly standing until she suddenly felt Melbourne bend his knees to scoop her into his arms, carrying her bridal-style and twirling them around, Victoria yelping with dizzy laughter until he stopped and kissed her underneath her bonnet, still holding her in his arms.

"William, don't married couples usually do this over the threshold?" She questioned her mentor, her husband.

"I don't ever think we've done things the right way, Victoria."

This wasn't Viscount Melbourne, the politician. This was William, her husband.

Victoria looped her arms around his neck to bring herself closer to him, their noses barely touching.

"No. I don't think we've ever done that. I hope we can keep it that way," she told him before both closed their eyes and leant forward to kiss each other, William, Duke of Edinburgh carrying Queen Victoria in his arms in one of the various corridors in the palace, not far from that portrait of Elizabeth I.

**Author's Note:**

> Quick update on fics to be written/published: 
> 
> 1) a fic from another fandom idk yet if I’ll publish it on anon ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> 2) continuation of the LITstory2k17 ‘verse with even more gays and some actual idea of how uni works now I’ve been a student for three months now  
> 3) We as the Sky and the Earth (Drumfred major AU) which is taking quite long considering I’m now having to rewrite not only early Conservative history but also foreign affairs, especially the Crimean War. It’ll get done at some point, I promise  
> 4) chapter 3 of So Take My Hand  
> 5) a long analytical fic about Vicbourne  
> 6) two more I’m not sure about any more
> 
> On top of this, uni work (which is going pretty well at the moment, most of my assessment results are firsts or high 2:1s at this point :D) and I’m also starting a separate blog about being an autistic “girl” studying away from home and my experiences which’ll hopefully get me noticed in the autistic academia community 
> 
> I’m on [Tumblr](lostlibraryofalex.tumblr.com)


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